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OPERATING yOUR BREVILLE SOUS VIdE
COOKING WITH THE
SOUS VIdE
As with any new cooking method, there are
some differences in technique that you will
want to become familiar with. Here are the
basic principles you should understand:
•
Length of cooking time depends on
the thickness of the food more than
the weight. Doubling the thickness of
a steak, for instance, increases the time
needed for the meat to reach target
temperature at its center by as much
as four times. Thus if a 1–inch (2.5cm)
steak requires a minimum of 1 hour to
reach the MEDIUM target temperature of
140˚F/60˚C, a 2" (5cm) steak will require
not 2, but 4 hours to reach 140˚F/60˚C.
•
Foods can be cooked at their desired
serving temperature and held for
extended periods of time (8 hours or
more) without significant loss of flavor
or appeal or can be cooked at higher
temperatures more quickly. When
cooking meat at a temperature higher
than the desired serving temperature,
using the timer function is required to
prevent overcooking.
•
Tougher cuts of lean meat require longer
cooking times (6 to 8 hours or more)
at desired serving temperature, which
will not overcook, but rather tenderize
the meat. Typical of this group would be
flank steak, eye of round, grass-fed beef,
ostrich filets, or buffalo steaks.
•
Tough, fatty cuts of meat, such as pot
roast, pork ribs, leg of lamb, should be
cooked at temperatures hot enough to
'melt' the collagen fibers into gelatin,
which means at least 140˚F/60˚C and
for at least 24 hours. Some very tough
cuts, such as beef cheeks or beef spare
ribs may require up to 72 hours. The end
result is simply succulent, falling-apart-
tender meat.
10
•
Very tender meats, such as lamb chops,
rack of lamb, or tenderloin of beef or
pork, need only to be brought to serving
temperature throughout, which requires
less time. Leaving tender cuts in the
water bath for extended periods (over
4 to 6 hours) can cause some loss of
textural quality.
•
Poultry is best cooked as the individual
parts. Air trapped in the cavity of a
whole bird carcass can cause the pouch
to float in the water bath and result in
uneven cooking. Half chickens, ducks, or
game hens or individual breasts, legs, or
thighs work best in the sous vide water
oven.
•
Vegetables and fruits, which contain
a significant amount of fibre, require
higher temperatures than meats (usually
183˚F/85˚C to 190˚F/87˚C) for
1 to 2 hours to become tender. Tender
vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli,
cauliflower, cabbage, summer and winter
squash varieties, as well as most fruits
including tomatoes may need only 45
minutes. Root vegetables, such as beets,
carrots, potatoes, parsnips, and turnips
will usually require 1–2 hours. Longer
cooking times will result in very soft
fruit and vegetable textures, ideal for
soups and purees.
•
Some foods—those for which poaching
is an ideal preparation medium, such as
vegetables, fish, shellfish, and skinless
poultry—can be plated and served
straight from the cooking pouch.
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